Vegas Golden Knights Officially Hire Mike Kelly
As expected from previous reports, the Vegas Golden Knights have hired Mike Kelly as an assistant coach for their upcoming inaugural season. Kelly had previously worked with head coach Gerard Gallant with the Florida Panthers and Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. The Vegas coach had this to say about his new assistant:
I am very excited to be working with Mike again. We enjoyed success in both Florida and Saint John and I am eager to bring that success to the Golden Knights. Mike is a great guy with a wealth of hockey knowledge and I couldn’t be happier with the decision to bring him to Las Vegas.
In 2010-11 with Saint John the pair won a QMJHL Championship before going on to hoist the Memorial Cup. They would repeat as Q champions and return to the CHL’s top tournament a year later, though they could not overcome the host team. In Florida, they success last year winning the Atlantic Division and getting the Panthers back to the playoffs, though an early exit at the hands of the Islanders awaited them in the postseason.
The pair will now try to mold the upstart expansion team into something of a culture, though the first few years may be lean on talent up front. There are several options from their Saint John days that could make an appearance, as Tomas Jurco, Stanislav Galiev and Eric Gelinas all played big roles on the Gallant-led teams.
Expansion Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs
Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.
The Toronto Maple Leafs entered the 2016-17 season fresh faced and looking to start a new chapter in their long history. After ripping apart the old core by moving Phil Kessel and then Dion Phaneuf in blockbuster trades, the team had finished last and acquired the prize they’d hoped for: Auston Matthews. Adding Matthews to an incredibly young group resulted in success for the franchise, squeaking in the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Though they were eliminated by the Washington Capitals in six games, not many Toronto fans were upset with the outcome. The teenaged-success of Matthews and Mitch Marner had revitalized their hopes and they head into this summer as legitimate contenders for the playoffs once again. Because of their reliance on youth, the expansion draft doesn’t pose as big of a problem for them as some other teams.
Eligible Players (Non-UFA)
Forwards:
Joffrey Lupul, Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Leo Komarov, Matt Martin, Eric Fehr, Kerby Rychel, Ben Smith, Josh Leivo, Connor Brown, Seth Griffith, Brendan Leipsic
Defensemen:
Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner, Alexey Marchenko, Martin Marincin, Connor Carrick
Goaltenders:
Frederik Andersen, Antoine Bibeau, Garret Sparks
Notable Exemptions
Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Zach Hyman, Nikita Soshnikov, Kasperi Kapanen, Nikita Zaitsev, Calle Rosen, Nathan Horton
Key Decisions
With most of their prized assets exempt already from the draft, Brendan Shanahan and Lou Lamoriello were able to easily prepare for the draft during the season. They accepted Eric Fehr from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the deadline, and re-signed Ben Smith to a minimum salary deal in order to fulfill the forward exposure requirements, and can easily go with the 7-3-1 protection scheme in order to limit Vegas’ selection. 
Up front, the Leafs have a few obvious choices like Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. Each of those three set career highs in points this season, and hold value either to the team long-term (Kadri) or on the trade market this summer and next year. Past that, the team will likely hold onto Leo Komarov for his defensive ability and Connor Brown as the oft-forgotten rookie who also scored 20-goals this season. That leaves them with two spots and a few decisions to make.
Out of the rest of the forwards, Matt Martin has the best case for protection after signing a four-year pact with the team and playing in all 82 contests. Head coach Mike Babcock has spoken quite highly of his leadership and role on the team, and after leading all NHL forwards in hits for the sixth consecutive season means more to them than just his offensive production (or lack thereof). After that, a decision between Kerby Rychel, Josh Leivo or Brendan Leipsic will likely round out the list and leave two players as possibilities for Vegas.
Rychel was acquired by the Leafs last offseason in exchange for Scott Harrington, and is a former first-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets. After a slow start, he finished with 52 points in the AHL and will look to try and crack the roster next year if he’s still in Toronto. Leivo spent most of the season in the press box, contributing whenever he could get himself into the lineup. With 10 points in 13 games, he showed that he could contribute offensively. If selected by Vegas he—or Leipsic, who was a point-per-game player in the AHL this season—could figure into their top six, as skilled forwards will be hard to find for the expansion club.
On defense, three slots should be enough as Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner and Connor Carrick are the only ones with any real future in Toronto. Both Matt Hunwick and Roman Polak are free agents, while Alexey Marchenko and Martin Marincin played rarely for the club even when healthy. On that note, the Leafs could theoretically acquire another defender before the draft and leave Carrick (or several forwards) exposed.
In net Frederik Andersen is a virtual guarantee, as neither of the younger goaltenders warrant any thought. Bibeau and Sparks have both had up-and-down careers so far, and neither project to be of interest to Vegas.
Among their trade deadline acquisitions was Brian Boyle, who could be of some interest to Vegas in the exclusive negotiation window. The Golden Knights will have a chance to talk to free agents, and Boyle would be a solid addition to their forward group and likely a better option than any other Maple Leaf. Boyle has always seemed interested in heading back to Tampa Bay in the offseason though, where his wife and newborn baby still reside. Other than that, the free agents don’t hold much interest for the young Golden Knight franchise.
The team doesn’t have to worry about any no-movement clauses, as Horton’s is the only one held by players under contract. Because of his degenerative back injury that will keep him from playing ever again, he was included on the list of injury-exempt players alongside the man who was traded for him, David Clarkson.
It’s interesting to note that while Nathan Horton appears on the exempt list due to injury, Joffrey Lupul does not. Lupul hasn’t played in the NHL since partway through the 2015-16 season but maintains that he would like to play again at some point. He’s under contract for another year, and seems no closer to seeing the ice in Toronto as the day he was banished to “Robidas Island”, a fictional place that Lamoriello sends players he no longer wants to be around the team due to their “injury”.
Projected Protection List
F Nazem Kadri
F James van Riemsdyk
F Tyler Bozak
F Leo Komarov
F Matt Martin
F Connor Brown
F Kerby Rychel
D Morgan Rielly
D Jake Gardiner
D Connor Carrick
Toronto isn’t in bad shape when it comes to the draft, but there has been chatter since he was acquired that the team has already worked out a deal with Vegas to take Fehr off their hands. Though he’s hardly expensive, his $2MM cap-hit could be better spent by the Maple Leafs who will have bonus overages to deal with this summer. Remember, that even though Lupul and Horton’s cap-hits can be put on long-term injured reserve and not count towards the cap during the season, they do affect it during the summer. A team can only go over the cap by 10% at any time during the offseason, making the Leafs’ salary cap situation tighter than you’d think.
The Maple Leafs have also been rumored in relation to basically every defenseman that may be on the market this summer, and though it’s most likely they would wait until after the expansion draft to acquire one the possibility does still exist that they’d snatch one up off a team with protection issues going into the draft. Either way, they’ll be a team to watch over the next few weeks as they’re bound to be involved in many of the trade talks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Vegas Expected To Hire Rocky Thompson As AHL Coach
Just after Kris Knoblauch was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers, another OHL head coach is heading to the professional ranks. The Vegas Golden Knights have hired Rocky Thompson to coach their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Thompson is fresh off a Memorial Cup victory with the Windsor Spitfires, and has history in the AHL as an assistant head coach.
A Calgary, Alberta native Thompson was drafted by the Flames in the third round in 1995, but really only ever made an impact with his fists in the professional ranks. Scoring just 69 points in the AHL and being held scoreless in 25 NHL contests, Thompson nevertheless recorded over 2,000 penalty minutes in the two leagues combined and played for more than ten seasons. His head coaching tenure has been a bit more successful, winning 40+ games with the Spitfires in back to back seasons and this year winning the Memorial Cup on home ice.
Thompson took over from San Jose assistant Bob Boughner who has recently been linked to the vacant head coaching jobs in Florida and Buffalo. At just 39-years old, Thompson is on a similar path to helm an NHL bench one day but with a different style that gave him a playing career. Just last week, he spoke with Eric Francis of the Calgary Herald for a story:
You’ve got to understand — I don’t coach this way. That way of playing is gone. My team had the fewest fights in the OHL, and believe it or not, if you ask anybody who knows me, I’ve never been in a fight off the ice.
Indeed his team was filled with skilled players instead of enforcers, littered with first round picks like Mikhail Sergachev and Logan Stanley, and led by a potential top-5 pick in the upcoming draft Gabe Vilardi. In moving to the Chicago Wolves, Vegas has hired a coach that can grow and develop with the franchise. He’ll have to work with Gerard Gallant on instituting organizational systems, but should be somewhat familiar with him. Thompson spent part of the 1999-00 season with the Louisville Panthers of the AHL, of which Gallant was an assistant coach at the time.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the hiring.
Morning Notes: Letang, Knoblauch, Vegas
Though he’s already been ruled out for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Finals, Kris Letang was on the ice today before Penguins practice skating alone and without equipment. Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star provided some video evidence, but it’s safe to say he wasn’t going full out. Letang is just two months into his rehab following neck surgery, which originally came with a four to six month recovery timetable.
It’s a great sign to see Letang back on the ice after such a disastrous season. Missing time with various ailments, the 30-year old defender only played in 41 regular season games and has missed the entire Cup run. With five years remaining on his current contract, the Penguins need him to come back strong and healthy next season.
- Kris Knoblauch has been hired in Philadelphia as an assistant coach, joining Dave Hakstol’s team. Knoblauch has been the head coach of the Erie Otters for the past five seasons, coaching players like Connor McDavid, Connor Brown, Andre Burakovsky, Dylan Strome and many others. Before that, he was the bench boss for the Kootenay Ice for two seasons, and won a WHL championship as a first-year head coach. His squads qualified for the Memorial Cup twice (including this year), but weren’t able to capture the trophy. He’ll replace the outgoing Joey Mullen and could even provide the Flyers with some extra OHL insight for the upcoming draft. Though it’s unlikely the Flyers would take an OHL player at #2, they do have ten other picks in the draft this year.
- Vegas is setting up to do some dealing this week, as George McPhee told Dan Marrazza of NHL.com. In all of his talks with the media, McPhee has seemed confident that several deals will be completed before the expansion draft. “We’ve had some real good discussions and I expect some things will start happening next week,” McPhee told Marrazza, a similar sentiment to the one he shared with Pierre LeBrun in their recent sit-down for TSN. There is even a mention of three-way deals that Vegas could facilitate, transactions that are rarely seen in the NHL. The Golden Knights could potentially sign free agents for teams ahead of time as well, during their exclusive negotiating window starting June 17th. There will be a freeze placed on any transactions around the league, except for the ones Vegas can make with UFAs or unprotected RFAs. It should make for an exciting week.
Side Deal Dilemma: Beleskey vs. Hayes
On Sunday, the Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy suggested that the Bruins attempt to sway the Vegas Golden Knights into selecting Matt Beleskey in the Expansion Draft by offering up a third or even second-round pick. Conroy lists Boston’s depth in young left wingers – Frank Vatrano, Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, Danton Heinen, and Anders Bjork to name a few, Beleskey’s drop-off in production and injury problems in 2016-17, and simply the three years and $11.4MM remaining on his contract as reasons why the Bruins should push to have the veteran power forward leave town.
Yet, ask most Bruins fans and they would say that the player they would most like to see selected in the Expansion Draft is Jimmy Hayes. The “Pride of Dorchester” has not been very successful during his home town tenure. After Boston swapped Reilly Smith for Hayes with the Florida Panthers in 2015, his scoring fell off from 35 points in his final season with the Panthers to 29 points in his first season with the Bruins and then to a miserable five points in 58 games in 2016-17. At the price of $2.3MM for one more year, Hayes too is a drain on cap space that many would be willing to give up a pick to move.
So which is the greater of two evils? The fact often forgotten when referencing Beleskey is that in 2015-16, his first season in Boston, Beleskey recorded a career-best 37 points. It wasn’t quite the same per-game production as his final season with the Anaheim Ducks, but Beleskey was still a valuable contributor up front. Beleskey’s hit and blocked shot totals also skyrocketed last season, as he played the integral role of replacing the toughness lost when Milan Lucic departed. Beleskey has acknowledged that he struggled with injuries in 2016-17, which was the main reason he registered just eight points in the regular season and was only active for three of the Bruins’ six playoff games. Those numbers are bound to improve in 2017-18, as Conroy himself noted. If Beleskey can get healthy and return to 40-point scoring range and to his dominant physical game, those final three years may be well worth it. However, that is a big if. Hayes has performed much worse in the same two seasons as Beleskey and doesn’t have the injury excuse to fall back on. What he does have is just one year remaining. If the Bruins were to give up a draft pick to persuade George McPhee and the Knights to take one of the two players, it would be a better investment to remove three years and over $11MM if they are unsure about Beleskey than for just one more year of a little over $2MM for Hayes, especially if that investment is a high pick. Boston has prospect depth on the right side as well as the left, as top forward prospect Zach Senyshyn will surely push for a job in camp, but Hayes’ contract doesn’t block development the way Beleskey’s could. The Bruins may be better off simply buying Hayes’ final year out if they really wanted to, but the same can’t be said for what would amount to a six-year hit to cut Beleskey.
It seems unfair to jump to conclusions about Beleskey based on one injury-riddled season and if the question was who is more likely to be the better player moving forward between he and Hayes, Beleskey is the easy pick. The Bruins have even stated that a top-six winger is an off-season priority for the team and Beleskey may be their best in-house solution and certainly better than Hayes. However, the question of who the Bruins should try to pawn off on Vegas, should they go that route, should also be Beleskey, as his contract situation and concerns about his long-term durability outweigh the short-term burden Hayes adds. Conroy may be on track with his predictions, though many fans may be disappointed by losing both Beleskey and a draft pick for nothing, but with so many questions surrounding the Expansion Draft for not just Boston, but all 30 teams, this scenario is far from certain.
Expansion Primer: New York Islanders
Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.
When the New York Islanders went out last summer and signed Andrew Ladd, they expected him to be an integral piece of their top six and a veteran who could show the rest of the team what it meant to be Stanley Cup contenders. After all, Ladd had won Cups with both Carolina and Chicago, and the Islanders were coming off two straight 100+ point seasons and a round 1 victory over the Florida Panthers. His season very much mirrored the year for the rest of the team, who started off ice cold and found themselves in last place in the Eastern Conference as the calendar turned to December.
The Islanders would eventually catch fire much like Ladd, who after scoring just two goals in his first 24 games would finish the season with 23. New York, riding a six game win streak to finish the season would push the Maple Leafs to the brink but ultimately fall just a point short of the eighth and final playoff spot. Now, having missed the playoffs and still struggling to find a permanent home, they’ll go into the offseason with much on their minds. Outside of re-signing John Tavares to a long-term deal (which is clearly their focus), they’ll select 15th at the entry draft and navigate the troubled waters of the Vegas expansion draft.
Eligible Players (Non-UFA)
Forwards:
John Tavares (NMC), Andrew Ladd (NMC), Nikolai Kulemin, Anders Lee, Cal Clutterbuck, Casey Cizikas, Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson, Ryan Strome, Jason Chimera, Shane Prince, Alan Quine
Defensemen:
Johnny Boychuk (NMC), Nick Leddy, Travis Hamonic, Thomas Hickey, Dennis Seidenberg, Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, Loic Leduc, Matthew Finn, Calvin de Haan, Jesse Graham
Goaltenders:
Jaroslav Halak, Thomas Greiss, Christopher Gibson
Notable Exemptions
Mikhail Grabovski, Anthony Beauvillier, Michael Dal Colle, Joshua Ho-Sang, Mathew Barzal, Jake Bischoff
Key Decisions
The expansion draft for the Islanders hinges on two key decisions: 1) Will Boychuk waive his no-movement clause and accept exposure knowing that Vegas is unlikely to select his long and expensive contract? 2) Knowing the answer on Boychuk, which of the two protection schemes (seven forwards, three defensemen or eight skaters) will they decide to employ? 
At forward, the second decision looms large as at least nine players have various cases for protection. It would be tough to expose any of the Tavares-Ladd-Lee-Bailey-Nelson group, as they are the core of the forwards and are all young enough (save for perhaps Ladd) to grow and contribute together over the next several years. Outside of those five Cizikas, Strome, Prince and Quine all carry some mixture of potential and performance. Strome carries the investment of a fifth-overall draft selection despite his recent disappointments, making him a tough name to leave off your list at just 23 years old.
Those final few spots up front will be dependent on how the Islanders feel about their defense core though, as they’re at risk of having to expose a good young defender like de Haan or Hamonic. Even if Boychuk decides to waive his NMC, the eight-skater protection scheme would still likely leave Pulock, a 22-year old former 15th-overall pick exposed along with other options like Hickey or Pelech. It also would leave several interesting players available up front.
In net, Greiss will be the obvious protection choice after he took the net this season and was given a three-year extension. It’s not clear that Greiss is a better goaltender at this point than Halak, but he does come cheaper and will be able to hold the fort until some of the Islanders’ outstanding goalie prospects make it to the NHL. The Islanders could swing a deal with Vegas in order for them to take Halak off their hands, but with the amount of goaltending options the Golden Knights are sure to have, it would cost New York a legitimate asset.
The Islanders don’t have any unrestricted free agents that would interest Vegas in their negotiating window, but one has to wonder whether de Haan would be a perfect candidate for a long-term deal with the Golden Knights if he is left unprotected. As a restricted free agent this summer, the 26-year old de Haan will be allowed to speak with Vegas during the window and after his very good season and impressive performance at the World Championships, he could be a big part of a surprisingly good Golden Knights defense corps from day 1.
It’s important to note that Mikhail Grabovski is ineligible for the draft because of his long-term injury, one which he may never return from. Grabovski last played on March 15th of 2016, when he returned from a concussion suffered a month earlier. After experiencing symptoms again, he wouldn’t for the remainder of that year and spent this entire season on long-term injured reserve. He was listed among the other exemptions like David Clarkson and Nathan Horton earlier this year.
Projected Protection List
F John Tavares (NMC)
F Andrew Ladd (NMC)
F Anders Lee
F Josh Bailey
F Brock Nelson
F Ryan Strome
F Casey Cizikas
D Johnny Boychuk
D Nick Leddy
D Travis Hamonic
Protecting Hamonic over de Haan would be debatable for years to come, which forces the us back to the first question; will Boychuk waive his NMC? It’s not even that Boychuk is a bad player, quite the opposite. Just that at $6MM per season for the next five years, his contract is likely protection enough to keep him out of Vegas for the time being. The Golden Knights want to acquire bad contracts in exchange for assets, not just take them off team’s hands for free.
The other thing the team might think about is the good young forwards that are almost ready to be added to the group up front, and if that means they could afford to lose one of their current players. Ho-Sang and Dal Colle should make an impact this season, while Barzal is one of the best prospects in the entire league after another outstanding season in the WHL. Room will have to be made for these young players eventually, and perhaps now is as good a time as any. Either way, the Islanders have some big decisions to make over the coming few days as protection lists are due on June 17th. We’ll find out what choices they made the next day.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Expansion Primer: Edmonton Oilers
Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.
After a decade out of the playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers rebounded in a big way with over 100 points and making it to Game 7 of the second round. Connor McDavid lead the NHL in scoring, while Cam Talbot lead all goaltenders with 73 games played. Leon Draisaitl finished top-ten in scoring and cemented his place as the best Oilers forward in the non-McDavid category.
The Oilers made one of the biggest moves of the off-season, trading superstar forward Taylor Hall to New Jersey for Adam Larsson, who played a big role in solidifying the team’s defence. Late off-season free agent signing Kris Russell played top-four minutes. Mid-season, GM Peter Chiarelli traded Brandon Davidson to Montreal for diminutive center David Desharnais.
Their success this season proved to management that their Stanley Cup window is one or two moves away from being a legitimate contender. With one season until McDavid’s upcoming big contract enters the picture, Chiarelli has some freedom to go for it. The expansion draft may create an opportunity to acquire a big name. Here’s a closer look at their situation:
Eligible Players (Non-UFA)
Forwards:
Leon Draisaitl, Jordan Eberle, Zack Kassian, Jujhar Khaira, Mark Letestu, Milan Lucic (NMC), Patrick Maroon, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Iiro Pakarinen, Zach Pochiro, Benoit Pouliot, Henrik Samuelsson
Defense:
Mark Fayne, Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson, David Musil, Griffin Reinhart, Andrej Sekera (NMC), Dillon Simpson
Goalies:
Laurent Brossoit, Cam Talbot (NMC)
Notable Exemptions
F Connor McDavid, F Jesse Puljujärvi, F Drake Caggiula, F Anton Slepyshev, D Matt Benning, D Darnell Nurse
Key Decisions
The Oilers only have one decision to make ahead of expansion. It helps tremendously that their superstar captain, three highly-touted forward prospects, and two future top-four defensemen are all exempt. The Oilers will go the 7-3-1 route.
Heading into the trade deadline, it appeared that the Oilers would lose the emerging Davidson to Vegas. The Oilers have Oscar Klefbom, Larsson, and Andrej Sekera for the three defensemen protection slots. With that in mind, Chiarelli traded Davidson to Montreal for Desharnais. The trade didn’t necessarily work out for the Oilers, with Desharnais not being able to solidify the Oilers’ third line and injuries piling up on Edmonton’s blue line at the end of their series against Anaheim.
Trading Davidson also means that the Oilers are going to lose someone else. 
The major choice the Oilers have to make is between Jujhar Khaira and Mark Letestu. The veteran Letestu has one year remaining at $1.8MM. He had 35 points, including 11 power-play goals, after overtaking Jordan Eberle as the right-shot option on the Oilers’ number one power-play unit. However, he’s also a 32-year-old fourth line center coming off high highest point-total in four seasons and a UFA next summer. In 2015-16, Letestu struggled when thrust onto the Oilers’ third line. The Golden Knights are not likely to have sufficient center depth to cover for Letestu at 5-on-5, so they’re liable to look elsewhere.
They may look no further than Khaira, who is just beginning his NHL career. He scored one goal in 10 NHL games last season before suffering an injury. He also had 20 points in 27 AHL games, showing offensive potential enough to one day develop into a third line checking center. Khaira is the kind of young talent that Vegas could look for instead of a 30-something bottom-six forward like Letestu.
Other possible selections include Laurent Brossoit, Griffin Reinhart, and Benoit Pouliot. All five of the above mentioned Oilers are waiver-eligible, meaning there’s no added benefit to taking one of the younger players. It shouldn’t have to be mentioned, but there’s no way the Oilers expose Eberle. Despite his down year, Eberle was still a top-60 scoring winger in the NHL and that is far too valuable to flush for one season of a down shooting percentage.
While the market is flush with goaltenders, Brossoit could be an interesting option as the Golden Knights’ backup for their inaugural season. GM George McPhee could select several options for the starting job and then trade them to teams needing help in the blue paint and use Brossoit as the backup. The young goaltender has played very well at every level, from leading the Edmonton Oil Kings to a Memorial Cup-berth, to successful years starting in the ECHL and AHL, and a good run as the Oilers’ backup during the second half of last season.
McPhee is willing to take on bad contracts, if the price is right. Pouliot could be one of those redemption options. After several years as a middle-six forward with good analytics, aggressive play, and solid penalty killing, Pouliot fell off the map in 2016-17. He had just 14 points in 67 games and zero points in the playoffs. At $4MM, he’s too expensive to spend two more seasons in Edmonton as McDavid and Draisaitl move on from their entry-level deals. But on an expansion team, he could return to a top-nine role and return to the mid-30 point range that he’s hit so consistently before.
The likeliest selection is Reinhart. The 2012 4th-overall pick has developed slower than expected, but by several accounts was the best defenseman on the Oilers’ AHL team last season. While he’ll never live up to the expectations that come with his draft position (one slot ahead of Morgan Rielly and two ahead of Hampus Lindholm), Reinhart can still become a dependable fifth defenseman who excels on the penalty kill. That has value, and his draft pedigree suggests there’s a player there.
With all that in mind, the Oilers would be better-served offering up Letestu instead of Khaira. Of course, Chiarelli may decide to hold on to the player who has proven he can score 30-plus points and play well on special teams, instead of a player who may be that in the future.
Projected Protection List
F Leon Draisaitl
F Jordan Eberle
F Zack Kassian
F Jujhar Khaira
F Milan Lucic (NMC)
F Patrick Maroon
F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
D Oscar Klefbom
D Adam Larsson
D Andrej Sekera (NMC)
G Cam Talbot (NMC)
Out of the unprotected players, Reinhart has the best pedigree and is young enough to still develop into a legitimate top-six defenseman. Khaira and Brossoit also have NHL-potential, and should be options for Vegas. Chiarelli and McPhee could also work out a trade where Vegas take an expensive player like Pouliot or Mark Fayne in exchange for a prospect or pick, but that’s far from guaranteed. As a future division rival, McPhee may not be inclined to help out Edmonton for less than a high pick or top prospect. Between Pouliot, Iiro Pakarinen, Fayne, and Brossoit, the Oilers meet the exposure requirements. At his year-end availability, Chiarelli told reporters that the Oilers were going to lose someone that they would rather keep. However, the Oilers situation is far better than most teams; the most likely options are their backup goaltender, fourth line center, or an AHL defenseman.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Los Angeles Could Be Trading Partner For Vegas
The Vegas Golden Knights have been open with the fact that they expect to acquire more picks as the NHL Entry Draft approaches, and Pierre LeBrun of TSN previously reported that he’d heard talk of a first-round pick in the discussions. Today on TSN radio, Gord Miller expanded on that idea by saying that Los Angeles is a likely partner for the Golden Knights. The Kings would send Dustin Brown to Vegas along with a first-round pick just to rid themselves of his contract. 
While it likely is just speculation from Miller, the idea that Brown is a perfect candidate for banishment to Vegas is not new. The Kings have two huge problems on their roster with Brown and Marian Gaborik, who combine for $10.75MM per year for the next four seasons. They both are obviously on the downside of their careers, with Gaborik only scoring 21 points this season. The Kings tried to move him at the deadline, but couldn’t find a palatable deal. Brown has some leverage on this front as his partial no-trade clause allows a deal to only eight teams that he specifies, making it even harder to move him.
Buyouts are options for the Kings, but with Gaborik rehabbing from surgery GM Rob Blake has already announced he won’t use that option with the 34-year old sniper. Obviously they’d rather move Brown out in a trade than a buyout but a first-round pick is a hefty price to pay especially when it comes at #11 this season. The Kings want to compete next season, and moving Brown or Gaborik would help their offseason, but they need to keep an eye on the future as well and make sure that it doesn’t cost too much to fix the mistakes of the previous regime.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Expansion Primer: Winnipeg Jets
Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.
Eligible Players (Non-UFA)
Forwards:
Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Mathieu Perreault, Shawn Matthias, Adam Lowry, Joel Armia, Ivan Telegin, Quinton Howden, Marko Dano, Scott Kosmachuk, Andrew Copp, Ryan Olsen, J.C. Lipon
Defensemen:
Dustin Byfuglien (NMC), Toby Enstrom (NMC), Tyler Myers, Jacob Trouba, Mark Stuart, Julian Melchiori, Ben Chiarot
Goaltenders:
Michael Hutchinson, Connor Hellebuyck
Notable Exemptions
Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, Kyle Connor, Jack Roslovic, Tucker Poolman, Logan Stanley, Josh Morrissey, Michael Spacek, Jansen Harkins
Key Decisions
The biggest factor in the Jets expansion protection is something we’ve written about before; whether or not Enstrom will waive his no-movement clause. If he does, it gives the team several options while if he doesn’t, the Jets will be almost forced to protect eight skaters instead of the 7-3-1 method.
Up front Scheifele, Wheeler and Little are locks as the core of the forward group, but after that it gets a little tricky. Perreault, Lowry, Armia, Dano and Copp all have their own strengths and weaknesses, and could deserve protection depending on how the team decides on their future. Perreault had another solid season with 45 points in 65 games but has had trouble staying healthy and is on the books until he’s 33.
The other four are all 24 or under and have shown flashes of big potential. Armia and Dano are former first-round picks, while Lowry and Copp are both capable young centers, something Vegas will be hard-pressed to find in the draft. Even if the team protects seven forwards, there will be an interesting option or two available up front. 
Defense is where the problems originate, since Enstrom’s NMC puts several players at risk. Even if Myers’ health issues are starting to wear on Winnipeg fans, watching him walk out the door for nothing after trading Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian to acquire him (and the rest of the package) would be painful. Trouba obviously deserves protection, leaving Melchiori and Chiarot as outside options for the Golden Knights.
In net Hellebuyck is clearly the future in Winnipeg, even if he is supplanted in the short-term by a free agent acquisition. Hutchinson has shown he has some ability as an NHL backup, but would be way down the menu for Vegas and unlikely to be selected anyway.
The Golden Knights will get a window in which to negotiate with free agents, and for the Jets that doesn’t seem to be an issue. Other than possibly bringing Pavelec on board, there aren’t any UFAs that are worth forfeiting what should be a good selection from Winnipeg.
Projected Protection List
F Mark Scheifele
F Blake Wheeler
F Bryan Little
F Adam Lowry
D Dustin Byfuglien (NMC)
D Toby Enstrom (NMC)
D Tyler Myers
D Jacob Trouba
If the Jets can’t get Enstrom to waive it, the protection list should look something like this. It would make their group one of the most talented options Vegas has in the draft, and a tough but rewarding selection for them. Because of that, watch closely for the team to figure out a deal with the Golden Knights to pick a certain player.
Of note, Ivan Telegin appears on the eligible list despite him never playing an NHL game and only 34 AHL contests. He’s played in the KHL for the past three seasons, but since those were after he had already signed an Standard Player Contract (SPC) in the NHL—his entry-level deal in 2011—he’s considered to have several years of professional service and is therefore eligible.
The Jets are in one of the worst situations in the league at the moment for the draft, though it is mostly because of the solid depth they’ve built at every position. For a team vying for the playoffs next season, losing one of the above listed players wouldn’t be crippling especially as they have youngsters like Roslovic and Poolman set to fight for spots.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Columbus Blue Jackets Trying To Deal David Clarkson Contract
As the Vegas Golden Knights enter the league, another destination for bad contracts has appeared. Previously limited to places like Arizona and Toronto, the Golden Knights are likely to be involved in several transactions that help cap-troubled teams rid themselves of painful deals. Already it has been reported that Chicago may give up a young defenseman in order to move Marcus Kruger‘s cap-hit, and Columbus may be in the same boat. On Sportsnet radio this morning, Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Blue Jackets have been trying to get Vegas to take David Clarkson‘s contract off their hands. 
When he was acquired from the Maple Leafs in early 2015, Clarkson’s deal was already bad. He was in just the second year of a massive seven-year, $35.75MM deal and already looked a decade removed from the 30-goal performance (and subsequent 15-goal season in the lockout-shortened 2012-13) that had earned it. The reason Columbus was interested in all, is the fact that they could send Nathan Horton‘s equally bad contract back, seeing as how he would never play hockey again. Horton had a degenerative back injury that would force him to retire, and his contract wasn’t insured. The prevailing thought at the time was “at least Clarkson is a healthy body that can play some games for us.”
Now, two years later, Clarkson is also retired due to injury but remains a dark stain on the Blue Jackets’ cap structure. Though he’ll sit on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) for the three remaining years and his contract is insured, giving the Blue Jackets some financial relief, it still impacts what the team can do in the offseason. Injured players can’t be placed on LTIR until the season begins, meaning they have $5.25MM less room each summer in which to work. Also, though LTIR allows you to go over the salary cap any performance bonuses by entry-level players would be pushed to the next season like they will in Toronto this year.
If the cap were to remain flat this summer, the Blue Jackets would have just under $3MM to spend even though Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson (among others) need new deals as restricted free agents. Though you can go up to 10% over the cap at any point, it needs to be in order by the last day of training camp. Moving out Clarkson’s contract would seem imperative, and as Friedman says the Blue Jackets have been trying to figure out what “sweetener” can they put in to make it palatable for Vegas. Again, Clarkson isn’t going to play this year or any other. He’s currently coaching high school hockey in Ohio. He’s not eligible for selection in the expansion draft, but that sweetener could come by Columbus exposing someone or something unexpected.
These are the ways Vegas will make their team competitive, not just selecting the aging-veterans or underperforming youngsters available in the draft. Their power comes in the idea of a blank ledger, one they can twist to their advantage over the coming months.